Lots of tracks on cd for the 1st time!
Heath Schoenfeld | Florida | 01/21/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Finally, a collection that starts to dig through the albums and include songs that are not found on any other cd. While the first 8 tracks have been around on cd for over a decade (they're all from "Out of Hand"), the rest of the cd is sprinkled with tracks from Gary's "Steppin Out" and "Your Place or Mine" albums. FINALLY! Songs like "Trudy," "Easy People," and "Lord, What A Woman" are on a clean cd. A great version of the classic "I Ain't Livin' Long Like This" (made famous by Waylon Jennings) plus great flipside cuts like "Dancing Eyes" make this a must-have for any Gary Stewart fan. Hopefully, it won't be long before the entire RCA collection will be on cd.By the way, these are the original analog tracks and have not been digitally cleaned up. You'll really hear the difference in the duplicate tracks that appeared on the RCA "Essentials" collection. That CD is pristine! But for those who have wanted Gary songs on cd, this is a great companion cd to the other Greatest Hits collections.If you want the full track listing, which does not appear above (as of January 21, 2000) email me."
One of Country's Forgotten Honky Tonk Heroes
Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 03/02/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In 1975 Gary Stewart released the classic album Out of Hand, which featured three hit singles: "Drinkin' Thing," "Out of Hand" and "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles." He followed that up with two other excellent albums, Steppin' Out (1976) and Your Place or Mine (1977), but the country superstardom that seemed to be Stewart's destiny eluded him. His career got jumpstarted when he began recording again for Hightone in the late Eighties, but it's his first three RCA albums that form the cornerstone of his career. This British import puts the spotlight on those early releases. Tracks 1-8 are from Out of Hand, 9-13 are from Steppin' Out, and 14-20 are from Your Place Or Mine. If you're looking for a solid introduction to one of country's honky tonk heroes, this is as good a place as any to get started. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"
Seventies hardcore country singer
Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 04/13/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This UK compilation is subtitled Best of, but is compiled from just three of Gary's albums, recorded between 1975 and 1977. Nevertheless, the title is accurate because Gary's success was short-lived although he recorded more than three albums. The compilation includes the original liner notes for his first album but says nothing about the rest of his career. Given that Gary is obscure even in his homeland - and almost unheard of in the UK - it would have been better had new liner notes been prepared. Still, it's a miracle that any Gary Stewart album was released in the UK.
The first eight tracks are taken from Out of hand, Gary's debut album, and include Drinking thing (a top five country hit), Out of hand (a number one country hit) and She's acting single (another major country hit). The next five tracks are taken from Stepping out while the final seven tracks are taken from Your place or mine.
Most of the songs here are originals, many written or co-written by Gary, but he could do great covers too. This compilation includes Gary's covers of Trudy (Charlie Daniels), I ain't living long like this (Rodney Crowell) and Broken hearted people (Guty Clark).
Gary was a hardcore country singer in the honky-tonk tradition so his music didn't really fit in with what Nashville wanted in the late seventies and this may explain why he failed to sustain his early level of success. While Kenny Rogers and others adapted to the more pop-sounding style, Gary faded into obscurity.
This compilation serves as a reminder that Gary was one of the finest traditional country singers of his generation."
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1